Occupational lung disease.

Occupational lung disease are a branch of occupational disease concerned primarily with work related exposures to harmful substances (dust or gases) and subsequent pulmonary disorder that may occur because of the harmful substances. There are many types of occupational lung diseases such as occupational asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, fibrosis, cancer, mesothelioma .Also diseases causes by asbestos at workplace such as pneumoconiosis (black lung), berylliosis (brown lung), farmer’s lung. The etiologies are mineral dusts (mines, quarries), chemical dusts(aircraft building, pulp mills, hairdressing), fumes (smelting, arc-building, furnace work) , organic dusts (agriculture, millers, bakers, chemists) , biological (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasitic agents).Among the clinical features of occupational lung disease are dyspnea ( difficulty breathing), cough(with sputum), restrictive ventilatory defect, cyanosis (blue discoloration of skin), chest pain, syncope (faint), tachycardia(high heart rate), tachypnea (increase in respiratory rate) & fatigue(loss of energy). There are several guidelines that should be considered to avoid occupational lung disease such as changes in work practices and technological controls. Comprehensive information and training programs, developed on the basis of sound educational principles, should be established in order to properly inform workers, engineers, managers and healthcare professionals about the dangers, control measures and the additional hazards posed by cigarette smoking. It is essential to plan careful emergency response.

Substitution is the best way to prevent hazardous emissions (replacing hazardous substances with those that are less hazardous). Also, Imposition of rigorous engineering controls is the third best way to prevent airborne exposure. This would include ventilation and process exposure which do not allow release of gases and toxic particles into the air. By far, use of protective gear and respirators has been the least satisfactory method of preventing occupational respiratory exposures. All approaches used for reducing exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace should be supported by stringent enforcement of law and through periodic review of current legal standards that regulate occupational exposure.

prepared by mohd nur ariff.(13b)